The Little Mermaid
by Illusions of Dreaming
Summary: Can two beings of separate worlds learn to live and love each other before time runs out? The Little Mermaid RK style.


**Illusions of Dreaming proudly presents:**

_The Little Mermaid  
_

**Chapter 1: A Very Special Day**

He leaned on the side of the ship; violet eyes gazing at the vast stretch of endless dark waters as he let the familiar sounds of the sea soothe him. Kenshin loved the sea for many reasons. The slow and soft rocking beneath him that carried his people and crew reminded him of a loving mother – a warm and protective existence that guided you onto new paths.

Here, miles of water separated the troubles of the kingdom from him – far from his eyes and ears. Here, he could pretend, even if it's for only a short while that Himura Kenshin was a free man unburdened by the problems of thousands of lives.

"What's the birthday royal doing here?" the rough timbre that belonged to Sanosuke echoed behind him and the prince turned around to face his best friend with a wry grin. It was only because Sanosuke was an old, close, family friend that he would let pass his fatal lack of proper greeting.

"Enjoying the view." The male smiled as he took a small sip from his cup.

"What view? There's nothing but water out there." Sanosuke said, one hand rising to his forehead as he tried to peer into the murky blackness.

Laughing, he swirled his cup of sake and emptied it with another gulp. "Exactly." The redhead smiled, turning back to the rails to gaze at the churning black waters.

Sanosuke raised his eye but shrugged the comment off, leaning back on the railings with a quiet sigh. There the two males stayed for a while, sharing and relaxing in the comforting silence of two old friends, lulled by the soft slap of waves against the ship.

"We're going to stay bachelors forever aren't we?"

Kenshin's eyebrow quirked upwards as he turned to peer at his friend taking in his dejected expression. "What made you say that?"

"Come on Kenshin! Look at us!" And he did. Violet eyes running quickly over the strong figure of his friend and returned curiously to brown eyes, his expression patient and composed.

"We're in our prime and no ladies!" Sanosuke all but wailed as he flung his arms out wide in a desperate, woeful gesture.

"So?" Kenshin asked softly, his lips twisting into an amused grin.

"So? _So?!_ Don't you want to get married? Pop a few babies? Have a family?" Sanosuke said, his voice dipping into exasperation.

"Of course I do." The prince snorted, turning back to face the open sea. "But that doesn't mean I have to like the princesses my father introduces."

"You've met a lot princesses!"

"And none of them suited me." Kenshin said firmly, his fingers tightening around his cup.

"You're twenty-five now."

The prince sighed, his hand rising to brush away a loose strand of red hair. "I just want to find the right girl to spend the rest of my life with, is that too much to ask for?"

Sanosuke stayed silent, glancing up at the flickering lights swaying drunkenly around them as heavy silence settled over them.

Finally, a soft whisper broke through, tired and wary. "But who is your right girl my prince?"

"I'm not sure, Sano." Kenshin replied honestly, hooded purple eyes turning slowly to his friend. "But I know she is out there… somewhere."

"You sound confident." Sanosuke chuckled dryly. His hand rose to rub the back of his neck awkwardly before the taller male pushed himself away from the rails. "I'm going back to the party down there. Don't stay here too long my prince, it is your party after all."

"Ah."

His tall friend paused slightly before resting one hand on his shoulder in a comforting grip. "Oh yea and…"

"Happy birthday Kenshin."

x x x

"Happy birthday Kaoru!"

Kaoru laughed as her beautiful sister threw herself at her, arms wrapping around her neck in a tight embrace.

"Thanks Misao!" she managed breathily as she attempted to free herself from the chokehold. It would be pretty depressing to suffocate on her long awaited birthday after all.

"You've got to see what I got you!" the mermaid squealed as she finally detached from Kaoru and began pulling her towards the towering pile of presents courtesy of many friends, family and suitors from all over the seven seas.

It was a bit unsettling to know that her family's birthdays were treated like special celebrations throughout the seas and that almost all merfolk worshipped the waters they swim through. Almost all.

Kaoru, the youngest mermaid of the royal Kamiya bloodline was also the prettiest amongst her many siblings. She had a slim body and gorgeous black hair that framed her almond shaped face. Her eyes were the color of the deep blue, sparkling with the many wonders of the great sea and her tail glittered in a beautiful hue of purple. She was graceful in her movements and delicate with her singing. It was said her voice was a blessed gift from the Great Mother for her voice was second to no one.

She was the pride and joy of the underwater kingdom, however the little mermaid's heart had never been with the sea. Kaoru had always fantasized about the many wonders of the word above. A world where her tail and fins could never reach- a world she could only learn through the vague descriptions and experiences of her siblings, until now.

Her heart began beating faster as she twisted her fingers together, impatiently waiting for her elder sister to resurface from the pile of gifts.

When a mermaid turned eighteen, she could swim to the surface and take her first breath of air from the world above. Finally, she could see the beautiful world up there, witness for herself, those strange creatures called 'humans' that looked like them but could drown in water.

_What is taking Misao so long?_ Kaoru swam in agitated circles as she peered anxiously out the windows. She could've been swimming to the surface already…

"Tada!" Her sister popped out from the enormous pile, holding the disappearing present victoriously above her head. "Look what I-Hey!"

Kaoru had all but snatched the box from Misao's hands as she tore viciously at the seaweed wrapping.

"Someone is eager eh?" Misao giggled gleefully and the youngest princess didn't bother correcting her sister's misunderstanding. She was excited alright, thought it was more for the trip to the upper world than for the present she was currently mutilating in her hands.

Finally, the present was free from all its excessive wrappings (three layers of seaweed, four layers of moss and coral boxing, seriously Misao?) and from Kaoru's hands, dangled a beautiful dress decorated with shells. Despite her mounting excitement for her trip to the upper world, Kaoru stopped and stared, appreciating the beautiful handwork she currently held.

"Wow… Misao." She breathed softly, rubbing the smooth material against between her fingers. The dress was dyed in the color of electric coral blue, made with compressed corals that glowed with every little movement. Small empty shells were expertly braided into the flowing gown and they clinked together with the slightest movements and created soft music.

"Well…?" her sister asked cautiously, swimming nervously around her as she waited for her verdict.

Kaoru was rendered speechless as she fingered the beautiful gift. Feeling tears welling up behind her eyes she gathered the dress and pulled Misao in a tight embrace. "Thank you Misao, it's beautiful, I love it."

The green finned mermaid immediately brightened up as she squirmed from Kaoru's grip. "Great!" Misao laughed as she clapped her hands with delight. "Come on! Wear it then! Wear it!"

Grinning at her sister's enthusiasm the littlest mermaid complied and slipped on the stunning gown. The material slid smoothly down her body and hugged her figure in a warm caress and Kaoru was left admiring the beautiful material as her sister swam to her back to help tighten her dress. With a grin of happiness, Kaoru flipped in the waters, testing the limits of her new gown.

It was like the dress was made just for her. It hugged her slim figure perfectly yet it did not restrict her movements and she was left free to swim in great arches and strong strokes. The dress' length trailed down to a few centimeters past her waist, a length that wasn't too long to obstruct her fins while swimming or too short to pass off as an individual shirt – a length that was just perfect.

It was just like her favorite sister to get her a gift as perfect as this. Kaoru couldn't help the happy tears the overflowed from her eyes and down her face as she flashed her sister a stunning smile. "I-it's perfect Misao."

"Oh goody!" her sister chuckled, swimming up to her to wipe gently at the tears. "I know, I know, I'm the best right?" Kaoru sniffed and nodded wordlessly. "Don't cry then, it's your special day! You've been waiting for this day for years right? I made it just for today! You have to look good for your first trip to the surface! What are you waiting for?" Misao turned her towards the door. "Go on now! Flash that beautiful dress for all to see as you travel to the upper world!"

"Misao…" Kaoru felt her heartbeat quicken as she clasped her sister's hands, words failing to express how grateful she was to Misao and her support. Her family had always expressed their dissent towards her strange admiration towards the four-limbed creatures but only Misao understood and supported her fascination.

"Shh! Go!" Misao urged as she gave her one last shove towards the open sea. "You can tell me how much you love me when you come back with stories of your wonderful adventure! Go!"

Kaoru needed no further urging and with one last glance at her beloved sister, she propelled herself towards the light, subconsciously hugging the precious gift from Misao closer to her body.

x x x

The swim to the surface was an interesting experience for the young mermaid. As the pressure of the deep waters slowly ebbed off, the environment around her turned lighter and lighter as well. She noticed a difference in atmosphere as she ascended the different sea levels, the higher and closer to the surface she got the more disturbed the waters felt.

The moment she broke out from the surface and took her very first breath, the mermaid choked on the unfamiliar substance. Her body not used to the sudden intake of excess oxygen reacted negatively to the intake and the air burned down her throat and she started hyperventilating. Diving back down to the sea, Kaoru tried to regulate her breathing as she calmed herself.

During her second try, she peeked slowly from the waters, inhaling the fresh air slowly first and allowing her lungs to adjust; she exhaled slowly and repeated the process until she could breathe properly. As soon as she could breathe properly, the mermaid flipped out of the waters like an excited dolphin diving through the waves.

She couldn't believe it! She was finally up at the surface! The waters up here were harsh and brutal compared to the waves below, but nothing could dampen her excitement as she took in the view of the world above.

Up above in the dark sky hung billions of winking lights – _Stars… that's what Grandma called them…_ Kaoru remembered absently as her jaw dropped open at the amazing sight. She tried counting them but found that the 'sky' stretched on endlessly and it was impossible to keep track of which 'stars' she'd counted. As the wind blew the Great Mother's spray in her face, the mermaid turned and found another strange sight.

A few hundred feet from her was an enormous, swaying creature. It creaked in its cries as Mother Sea washed against it. The creature didn't swim but seemed to float with the waves in its movements. Kaoru gaped in open fascination as she watched the beast sway from side to side, her eyes taking in the lumbering form of the clumsy vessel.

Was it perhaps a new type of whale? The mermaid tried communicating with it, but the creature ignored her, creaking eerily as it stumbled on its way. So the mermaid watched by the side, searching her memories of descriptions that might explain the strange, creaking creature. When all the 'whale' did was bob with the waves, the youngest mermaid decided to brave forwards for a light touch.

Diving noiselessly through the waves, she closed the distance between them and cautiously reached out to stroke her fingers lightly against the hide of the monstrous being. When the creature didn't show any signs of being antagonized by her touch, Kaoru placed her palm on the side, admiring the strange texture of the animal.

It was without scales and its hide was not the leathery feel of a seal's. Its skin was smooth, hard and very thick – thick enough to block out the warmth of flesh beneath. The whale was very, very strange.

Glancing upwards, the mermaid was surprised to find lights flashing on the back of the whale and she swam back to take a clearer look. The lights that glowed on its back were similar to those dangerous lights some fishes held as bait in the underwater kingdom. Except these glowed brighter and seemed less ominous as they swayed with the whale. White fins flapped casually on its back, rounding out as the wind filled its pockets and sent the whale cutting across the waves in a smooth, undisturbed ride.

Kaoru followed silently, captured in fascination by the new floating species. Her sensitive ears picked up the sounds of music and sapphire eyes curiously searched the back of the whale for the source. Her eyes landed on the figures moving across the creature, singing and laughing loudly as they swayed with the beat. The mermaid felt excitement build within her, bubbling out in a gasp of delight when she recognized the strange four-limbed beings that rode upon the back of the whale.

"Humans!" she exclaimed happily, flipping once through the air in glee. Finally! She found the mysterious creatures her sisters kept talking about – the creatures that she'd been waiting to see all her life!

The youngest mermaid swam closer to take a closer look, her face flushed with pleasure as she observed the beings that plagued her dreams and fantasies at night.

Her eyes picked out a red haired human from the crowd to observe, gently tracing the angled jaw and proud nose sitting in the middle of a kind, handsome face. He walked with a straight back with long red hair pulled into a ponytail that trailed down to his lower back and below that – instead of the familiar tail she was so used to seeing – his torso separated into two limbs. _Humans are beautiful…_ the mermaid sighed softly as she watched the smooth movements of her current creature of interest. He seemed to glide in his movements, smooth and graceful as he walked across the deck on his legs and the mermaid felt a pang of envy for the human.

She watched silently, her tail paddling the waters softly as another human approached her short man. They shared a joke and Kaoru drank in the beautiful sounds of their laughter – so musical, especially the low baritone of the redhead. The other human passed over something to the shorter male and her heart skipped a beat when a stunning smile broke over the redhead's face and brightened his whole being. _He's beautiful…_ Kaoru blushed at the thought and shook her head, her fins slapping the waters in agitation.

As much as she adored the humans, a mermaid falling in love with one was taboo in the underwater kingdom. Bad things would befall her family and friends and she wouldn't want that – her eyes sought the shadow of the redhead again – no, she wouldn't want that at all.

Yet as the little mermaid continued watching the ship and its occupants that night, her eyes kept being drawn back to the exotic redhead with the brilliant smile. Unknowingly, her heart began to slip further and further down a forbidden trail and the gears of fate clicked together and began turning.

x x x

"Cheers!" Kenshin heard himself echoing the joyful cries of his companions as they all toasted for the umpteenth time that night.

The male barely tasted the sake that touched his tongue as he sipped lightly from his glass. He politely declined another refill as he stepped away from the partying crowd with a pleased expression. The night was long and loud but it was a refreshing environment to be in. The prince could feel his consciousness dipping as the effects of the alcohol began to settle in.

He lingered at the rails, listening to the soft slap of waves against his ship and stared into the endless stretch of black waters. It was only then did he notice the ominous stretch of tumbling darkness growing in the sky. The cheerful partying noises suddenly faded from his ears as the prince squinted at the rolling darkness in the horizon. The wind that once felt like a cooling balm across his heated skin turned into vicious whips of foreboding danger.

Kenshin felt his heart leap to his throat as a loud, frantic bellow tore through the peaceful atmosphere.

"ALL HANDS ON DECK!"

The glass in his hand shattered on deck as the dark sky ripped open in a terrifying yawning void of black and everything was suddenly blinded in white and sound.

_To be continued…_

* * *

_Notes:_

_In the original story (__by Hans Christian Andersen)_, the little mermaid had 5 sisters and she was the youngest of them all. Mermaids come to age at 15 and the prince was celebrating his 16th birthday. The little mermaid's (she had no name) fascination towards the upper world came from the stories her sisters and knowledgeable grandmother shared with her and the feeling of being incomplete.  


I shouldn't be doing this ;u; not when I have TGwSE and GH to work on. Curse my active brain and its stubborn nature that refuses to let go of ideas!

Actually found this in my hard-drive written several months ago - did a bit of touch up and decided to post the first chapter up anyways ;u; (I'm bad with temptations?) and well if the community likes it, I might as well touch up on the other chapters and get them uploaded too xD It is a short story that would only last about 7-10 chapters or even less. Thankfully. (I don't think I'll be able to juggle three BIG projects, no I don't.)

Erm yea! The Little Mermaid Rurouni Kenshin style! :'D It'll be a mix of the original Little Mermaid story and the Disney one + some of my own flair to make things interesting. I will be posting some important notes or little details that I've changed at the end of each chapter! I hope you're interested? Jot down your opinions! I'd love to hear them!

Until then!

~IOD


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